First Do No Harm

A Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Mystery

S. J. Rozan

In the latest novel in S. J. Rozan’s groundbreaking mystery series, Lydia Chin and Bill Smith face a dangerous task: they must unlock a hospital's many secrets in order to save an innocent man.

With River Valley Hospital in the midst of negotiations to avert a nurses' strike, a wealthy benefactor is set to give a large donation to honor of the Chief of Emergency Medicine: Dr. Elliott Chin, the brother of private investigator Lydia Chin.

Before the donation can be finalized, a member of the nurses' negotiating committee is found murdered. A morgue assistant is arrested and although he denies even knowing the victim his father and brother, both doctors at the hospital, are quick to urge him to take a plea. Another negotiating committee member abruptly resigns and a senior biomedical technician disappears. An officially off-limits section of the hospital basement turns out to be a hotbed of unauthorized—and in some cases criminal—activity.

Hired by the arrested man's lawyer, Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith start to dig into the events and personnel at the hospital. Among the union disputes, blackmail, thefts, lies, and a detective who really, really doesn't like them, one thing becomes clear: the dictum to "First Do No Harm” is not in effect at River Valley. As time runs short, Lydia and Bill face a complicated and dangerous task: they must unlock the hospital's secrets to save an innocent man.

S. J. Rozan has won multiple awards for her fiction, including the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Nero, and Macavity, the Japanese Maltese Falcon, and the Private Eye Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award. S. J. was born and raised in the Bronx and now lives in lower Manhattan.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Praise for The Mayors of New York:

"PIs Smith and Chin tackle a pair of hot potato mysteries in Edgar winner Rozan’s excellent 15th outing for the duo. Rozan has never been better at quip-filled dialogue that Rex Stout would be proud of, and once again excels at evoking the tangled power dynamics of contemporary New York City. This superior series shows no sign of losing steam." Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Rozan allows the Big Apple to shine by depicting its diversity and the many 'mayors' that rule the city’s neighborhoods, from Chinatown to upscale enclaves in the Bronx. The characterizations are brilliant, and Bill’s voice narrating is a total delight." Booklist, starred review

"The Mayors of New York provides a different take on the private detective novel, flawlessly interweaving the grit of NYC, intricacies of politics and the juxtaposition of those in power vs. those with none. Rozan keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with an action-packed, entertaining, and suspenseful thriller from start to finish. The 15th installment in the Lydia Chin and Bill Smith series is not one to miss." Criminal Element

"Jaded, morally challenged adults can make formidable adversaries, but then so can run-of-the-mill teenagers. The pool of potential baddies is doubly deep in S. J. Rozan's The Mayors of New York, another brisk, droll, and diverting title in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mystery series. Inevitably, The Mayors of New York has its share of Gotham-style politics and, as ever, the series offers a sightseeing tour of the Big Apple." Shelf Awareness

"While politics are at the crux of The Mayors of New York, Rozan goes deeper in showing how evil can hide in plain sight. The Mayors of New York contains plenty of predators and prey, each believable. This is a series that shows no signs of slowing down as The Mayors of New York proves." Oline Cogdill, The Sun Sentinel

"It’s suspenseful, it’s twisty, it’s soaked to the core with the complexities and contradictions of New York, and it’s ridiculously good." Neil Nyren, The Big Thrill

"Lydia Chin and Bill Smith hit the big time, in good ways and bad, when they’re hired by New York City’s mayor—at least, the official one. As usual, Rozan is less interested in hiding the culprits than in providing a consistently brisk and illuminating tour of the city, gently probing the underside of any number of rocks, and supplying a triple-barreled climax that will answer all your questions and then some. Professional-grade work from two of the best private eyes on the scene." Kirkus Reviews